SPIRITS
CINNAMON-INFUSED APPLEJACK
How to Travel, Jupiter Disco
1 750-mL bottle Laird’s Bottled in Bond applejack
8 cinnamon sticks
Pour the applejack into a sealable containe and add cinnemon sticks. Let infuse for 24 hours, strain, and return the infused applejack to the bottle.
ONCE YOU’VE MADE IT…
CINNAMON-APPLE OLD FASHIONED: A perfectly autumnal stirred drink with a strong aroma of apples and cinnamon (2 oz/60 mL cinnamon applejack, ½ oz/15 mL honey syrup, 1 dash of orange bitters and 1 dash of Angostura bitters, stirred, strained into rocks glass with ice, garnished with a lemon peel)
CINNAMON-APPLE TODDY: Bringing the rich apple-cinnamon flavor to a comforting hot toddy (2 oz/60 mL cinnamon applejack, ½ oz/15 mL demerara syrup, 1 dash of Angostura bitters, 3 oz/90 mL boiling water, stir, garnish with a squeezed lemon wedge, stud three cloves in lemon wedge and leave in drink)
CINNAMON-APPLE CIDER: A dead-simple method for a refreshing fall drink (1½ oz/45 mL cinnamon applejack, 6 oz/180 mL hard cider, stirred together in a pint glass over ice)
CUCUMBER & PINK PEPPERCORN–INFUSED VODKA
Stone of Jordan, Roberta’s
1 750-mL bottle vodka
1 cucumber, peeled
½ cup/55 g whole pink peppercorns
Slice the cucumber. Grind ½ cup of whole pink peppercorn in a spice grinder (or blender) until fine. Make a cheesecloth pouch with the sliced cucumber and ground peppercorns inside. Pour the vodka into a sealable container. Soak cucumber–pink peppercorn cheesecloth in the vodka for 3 days. Remove the cheesecloth and strain the infused vodka back into the bottle.
LEMONGRASS-INFUSED VODKA
Porch Swing Collins, Butter & Scotch
1 750-mL bottle Reyka vodka
3 stalks lemongrass
Chop the lemongrass into small pieces. Add to a blender with the vodka and blend until the lemongrass is well blended. Strain through a chinois or fine sieve, discard the lemongrass, and strain the vodka back into bottle.
ONCE YOU’VE MADE IT…
LEMONGRASS ’75: It’s important not to add too many competing flavors to something subtle like lemongrass, which is why lemon and sparkling wine are ideal (1½ oz/45 mL lemongrass-infused vodka, ½ oz/15 mL simple syrup, ½ oz/15 mL lemon juice, shaken together, strained into a flute and topped with 2½ oz/75 mL sparkling wine)
LEMONGRASS GIMLET: Lemongrass comes through even more clearly in this simple gimlet (2 oz/60 mL lemongrass-infused vodka, 1 oz/30 mL lime juice, ¾ oz/20 mL simple syrup, shaken, strained into a coupe)
THYME-INFUSED GIN
San Francisco Handshake, Hotel Delmano
1 750-mL bottle gin
Large bunch of fresh thyme
Pour the gin into a sealable container and add thyme. Let infuse for 24 hours, strain, and return the infused gin to the bottle.
San Francisco Handshake, Hotel Delmano
ONCE YOU’VE MADE IT…
THYME G&T: A simple showcase for the infused gin’s herbal flavors (2 oz/60 mL thyme gin, 4 oz/120 mL Fever Tree tonic in a Collins glass with ice, brief stir, garnish with a thyme sprig and lime wedge)
THYME COLLINS: Integrating the thyme gin into a bright, lemony tall drink (1½ oz/45 mL thyme gin, ½ oz/15 mL lemon juice, ½ oz/15 mL simple syrup, shaken; strain into a Collins glass filled with ice, top with 3 oz/90 mL soda, garnish with a lemon wheel and thyme sprig)